Vehicle destination sign mechanism



H. Y. MAGEOCH VEHICLE DESTINATION SIGN MECHANISM July 28, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 15. 1953 INVENTOR. HH YHLE MAQEOQH A TTOE/YE Y.

1959 H. Y. MAGEOCH VEHICLE DESTINATION SIGN MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 15. 1953 INVENTOR.

HHRRY YHLE MAGEQCH A TTOE/VEY.

July 28, 1959 MAGEQCH 2,896,873

VEHICLE DESTINATION-SIGN MECHANISM Filed July 15, 1953 Q Q 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Q INVENTOR.

HHRRY HLE MAcEocH BYWK United States Patent VEHICIJE DESTINATION SIGN MECHANISM Harry Yale Mageoch, Havertown, Pa., assignor, by mesne assignments, to H. K. Porter Company, Inc, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application July 15, 1953, Serial No. 368,054

2 Claims. (Cl. 242-67 .4)

This invention relates generally to vehicle destination or route sign devices and is more particularly concerned with an improved construction of the manually operated type provided with roller units which mount a curtain bearing a series of destination or route signs.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide such a device with novel means for actuating the curtain rollers.

Another object of the present invention is to provide for such a device curtain roller actuating means operable for selective engagement with the rollers.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide for such a device novel means for maintaining said curtain rollers in any selected position.

And still another object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism operated by a crank or other means that will selectively engage either one of a pair of rollers to thereby wind the curtain upon the engaged roller simultaneously as it is unwound from the disengaged roller without regard to any dilference between the rotative speeds of the two rollers. Thus, the mechanism of the present invention enables the curtain to be wound upon and unwound from rollers of substantially different diameters respectively operating at diiferent rotative speeds.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear more fully hereinafter, it being understood that the present invention consists in the combination, construction, location and relative arrangement of parts, all as will be more fully described hereinafter, as is shown in the accompanying drawings and will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle destination sign device embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional elevational view on line 2-2 of Figure 1; 7'

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional elevational view on line 3-3 of Figure 2;

7 Figures 4 and 5 are similar to Figure 2 showing the means for actuating the curtain rollers swing into extreme positions;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary plan view on line 6-6 of Figure 1; and

Figure 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 7-7 of Figure 2.

Figure 8 is a sectional elevational view similar to Figure 2, but showing a modified form of the drive assembly;

Figure 9 is a fragmentary sectional elevational view on line 9-9 of Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a fragmentary sectional elevational view on line 10-10 of Figure 8.

Referring to the drawings, the vehicle destination sign device of the present invention comprises a set of rollers which mount a curtain 10 the opposite end portions of which are anchored to and wrapped about a pair of roller units 11-12 which are actuated by mechanism ice disposed at one end thereof and designated generally by the numeral 13 and which are held in any selected position by a clutch device at the other end thereof designated generally by the numeral 14.

The curtain rollers are mounted in a rigid structure in the form of a rectangular box 15 having opposite end walls 16-17 and a front wall 18. The box 15 is made of sheet metal and the front wall 18 thereof is fitted with a glass viewing panel 19.

The roller units 11-12 are identical, each being provided with reduced opposite end portions 20-21, a pair of flanges 22-22 and a final drive gear 23 on the end portion 20. The end portions 20-20 are conventionally journaled in the side 16 of the box 15 while the end portions 21-21 are journaled in the clutch device 14. The latter includes a plate 24 which extends transversely of units 11-12 and is provided with a pair of bushings 25-25 into which the end portions 21-21 of the roller units 11-12 are respectively projected, and which is further provided with a pair of friction disks 26-26 made of suitable material each interposed between a flange 22 on each roller unit and the plate 24, these friction disks being secured to the plate 24 in any suitable manner, as by an adhesive agent. For supporting the plate 24, the end wall 17 of the box 15 is provided with a pair of inwardly projecting fixed pins 27-27 the innermost end portions of which respectively pass loosely through a pair of apertures 28-28 in plate 24. For pressing the friction disks 26-26 against the flanges 22 the pins 27-27 are fitted respectively with compression springs 23 disposed between the plate 24 and the end wall 17 of the box 15.

The idler rollers 30-30 are identical, each being provided with reduced opposite end portions 31-31 and a pair of flanges 32-32. The end portions 31-31 of each roller 30 are conventionally journaled respectively in the end walls 16-17, the rollers 30-30 being thereby disposed in horizontally spaced parallel relation to one another and in vertically spaced parallel relation to the. roller units 11-12. It will be observed that the portion of the curtain 10 which is not wrapped about the roller units 11-12 passes over the rollers 30-30 and that the vertically extending portion thereof proximate the panel 19 is visible from outside the box 15.

The mechanism 13 for actuating the roller units 11-12 includes a drive assembly 33 and means for actuating the same. For mounting the drive assembly on the end wall 16 of the box 15 there is provided a shaft 34 fixed to the end wall 16 by one end portion projected through the end wall 16 and having a pair of nuts 35-35 threaded thereon and disposed respectively On opposite sides of the end wall 16. The opposite end portion of the shaft 34 is in the form of an integral head provided with a bearing block part 36 and a spring seat part 37.

Mounted for rotation upon the shaft 34 and disposed intermediate the inner nut 35 and the spring seat part 37 is a primary drive gear 38 provided with a hub having a bevel gear 39 formed thereon and presenting toward the spring seat part 37. Interposed between the latter and the aforementioned hub is a compression spring 40, and interposed between the inner nut 35 and the primary gear 38 is the lower end portion of a carriage arm 41. This end portion is provided with a friction disk 42 secured thereto, as by an adhesive agent, and presenting toward the primary drive gear 38, being apertured for projection of the shaft 34 therethrough and for swinging movement of the arm 41 about the shaft 34.

The upper end portion of the carriage arm 41 also is provided with a friction disk 42 and has formed integral therewith an inwardly extending pintle 43 the innermost end portion of which has threaded thereon a pair of nuts 44-44. Mounted for rotation upon the pintle 43 and disposed in. closeadjacent relation to the friction disk 42 is a secondary drive gear 45. which meshes with the primary gear 38 on the shaft 34. Interposed between the secondary gear: 45: andzthe nuts 44--44 is: a compression spring 46 and aspring seat collar 47.

For actuating the:drive.assembly 33-t-here is provided means including a shaft 48 projected through aligned openings in the bearing block part 3620f'th615h3ft 34 and in' a bearing block 49 mounted in-thebottom wall 50: of the. box- 15'. Mounted on theshaft 4 8'for rotation there'- withl is-a bevel gear 51 the hubof which is seated upon the bearing block 49 and the face of which. presents upwardly for engagement with the bevel. gear 39 which is: formed integral with the primary gear 38. On. the lower endportion of the shaft ASbelowthe bottom wall 56 ofth'e box 15 there is mounted a handle 52. for turning theshaft 48;

Referring-particularly to. Figure 2, the drive assembly 33 is disengaged from the roller units 11-12, i.e.,. it isin it's-neutral position, and, referring particularly to Figure 3, the compression spring 40'0nshaft 34' and the compressionspring 46 on pintle 43 respectively urge the primary gear 38 and the secondary gear 45 into constant side abutting frictional clutching engagement with the friction disks 42 42 on the carriage arm 41-. When the handle 52v is rotated in one direction .or the other, the gear'SI- is correspondingly rotated and causes rotation of the gears 38'3.9-, in consequence of which, during initial turning movement of the meshed gears 51 and 3$39, the drive assembly33 swings as a unit about the shaft 34- until the secondary gear 45 engages the final gear 23 of one of-theroller units 11-42, depending upon the direction in which the handle 52 is rotated. When the latter is turned in a counter-clockwise direction, as view in plan, the drive assembly 33 swings as aunit to the left, and the secondary gear 45 engages the final gear 23 of the unit 11 (see Fig ure 4.) Further turning of the handle 52- causes the developed frictional clutching force to be overcome, whereupon the primary gear 38, as indicated by the arrows in Figure 4, turns the secondary gear 45 and the final gear 23 of the unit 11. The roller unit 11 turns with its final gear 23,- and the curtain 10 is wrapped about it, passing over the idler rollers3tl-3tl as i=t-is unwrapped from about the roller-unit 12-. When the handle 52 is turned in aclockwise direction as viewed in plan, drive assembly 33 swings to the right,- and the secondarygear 45 engages-the final gear 23 of the unit 12 (see Figure whereupon the curtain is unwrapped fromabout the roller unit 11 and wrapped 'aboutthe roller unit 12.

The'compression springs 29-49 constantly urge the friction disks 26-26 mountedupon the latter into-side abutting frictional clutching relation respectivel-ywith the opposed flanges 22- of the roller units 11-12. Thus the latter are effectively maintained inany selected position. The plate 24 carries the weight of the proximate ends of the' roller units 1112 and is in turn carried by the pins 27-27.

The driveassem'bly may take the-form illustrated in Figures'8, 9and 10 and indicated generally by the numeral 5'3. For'mounting this modifiedform of drive assemb'ly' on the end'wall 16' of the'box there is'provided a shaft '54 which is generally similar to shaft 34 and which is suitably fixed to the end wall 16 of the box 15.

Mounted for rotation as a unit upon the shaft 54 is' a sleeve-54 which has secured theretoa'b'evel gear 55 and a primary drive gear 56. The hub of the latter proximate the'bevel' gear SS'h'as rotatably mounted thereon, the lower end'portion of a carrier arm or plate 57 of generally triangular form. Referring particularly to Figure 9', it'will be noted that one upper corner of the arm or plate 57 is provided'with an aperture through which a pintle 58is. slidably projected. The end portion of'the pintle 58proXimate the end wall 16' of the box 15'has rotatably mounted thereon a secondary drive gear 59 which meshes with the primary gear 56 and which is disposed in close adjacent relation to a friction disk 60 4 on. the. carriage arm 57. The innermost endportion-of the pintle 58 has threaded thereon a nut 61 and is provided further with a spring seat washer 62. Interposed between the springseat washer 62 and the carriage arm 57 is a compression spring 63.

Now referring particularly to. Figure 10, it will be observed that the opposite upper corner of the arm 57 is also. provided. with apintle. 64 whichti's. suitably. fixed thereto and which hasrotatably mounted thereon another secondary drive gear 65Twh'ich also mesheswith theprimary gear 56, but not with the secondary gear:59

As most clearly appears in Figure 9, the compression spring'63 onthe pintle 58 urges the secondary gear 59 into constant side. abut-ting;frictional: clutching engagement with the friction disk 60 on the carriage arm 57. When the mechanism is actuated as hereinbefore indicated, the drive assembly 53 swings as a unit about the shaft 54 until one of the secondary gears 59 -65 engages-a -fin'al gear- 23. whereuponsucirswingingmovement ceasesand, after the developed frictional clutching force has b'een overcome; the prirna-ry gear 56 turns the secondary gears-59-65 and the engaged final drive gear 23, moving the curtain: as-h'ereinbefore indicated. A pair of pins- 66-66 maybe providedto limit the swinging movement of the carriage arms 57-57 (see Figure 8:) so'that the-teeth of the final an'd'seconda-ry gearswill engage'tothe desired depth;-

It will be'understood, of course, that the apparatusas herein shown and described is susceptible of various changes and-modifications which may be=madefI'Ql'Hf time to time, without involving any departure from the general principles or:real spirit ofthe present invention;- For example, idler gears maybe interposedbetweenthe secondary and final gears to conform with a required spacin g ofroller units or other physical limitations; In addition, specially made friction disks are not essential. Furthermore, the-means for causingthe drive assembly gears-to clutch their'carriage arm neednot be-associated with both-theprimarygear and a secondary gear, but maybe 'associated only-with the primary" gear. Accord ingly, it is intended to claim' the same broadly, as well as specifically, as indicated in the appended claimst What is claimed as new and useful is:

1. In a device for displaying'the: destination-or route of a vehicle, a pair of roller units, means-for" revolu'bly mounting said units,- curtai-n-materialon*said units, and mechanism operable for actuating said units-so as to display a selected portionof said-curtain material'said unit mounting means comprising amem-ber extending transversely of said units and having journaled therein corresponding end portions of-said units, means for supporting said member, mounting the same'for movement aXial-lyof said units and securing the same against movement transversely of said units, and means pressing said member into abutting frictionalengagement withsaid corresponding end portions of'said units:

2. Ina deviceas defined inclairn l, wherein the trans versely extending member is in the'form-of a' plateand wherein the supporting and pressing means therefor-comprises a pair of fixed laterally spaced elements projected through spaced apertures in said plate, and apair ofcom pression springs respectively mounted. on said fixed elements on the side of said plate remote from said units;

References .(Iited in the: file .of this patent.

UNITED STATES PATENTS.

1,571,610 Tingley Feb. 2,.1926 2,252,805 Gruden .Aug. 19, 1941 2,275,497 Berndt Mar. 10,1942 2,275,498 Berndt Mar. 10, 1942 2,324,453 Albers July-13, 1943 2,583,385 Miller, Ian. 22, 1952 2,611,284 Albee Sept. 23, 1952 2,621,864 Smith Dec. 16, 1952 2,673,041 Hittle Mar. 23, 1954 

